ATF Raid 3-D Printed Firearms Maker on Machinegun Charges

3D Printed Ghost Guns
3D-Printed Firearms | Maker Arrested on Machinegun Charges

A significant player in the 3D-printed firearms world has been arrested on charges of violating the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and the Hughes Amendment of the Gun Owners Protection Act (GOPA).

According to a criminal complaint filed in a New York federal court on October 17, Peter Celentano, who went by the online moniker Freeman, was arrested for an illegal possession of a machinegun charge. On September 29, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with local police, executed a search warrant on the 35-year-old man’s Bergen, NY home. Federal authorities recovered two 3D printers, unserialized pistol frames, a jig used to finish 80% AR15 receivers, and various other tools that could be used for gunsmithing. In a bathroom closet, the agents found what they claimed to be two 3D-printed machinegun conversion devices.

The authorities believed the man had moved other items from his home, where he lived with his wife and her child. Unbeknownst to Celentano, the ATF had planted a GPS tracker on his vehicle to track his movements. Authorities noticed he made a 40-minute stop at a property in Lyndonville, NY. The ATF contacted the property owner, who gave the ATF agents and local law enforcement permission to search the property for evidence against Celentano.

The agents found an unlocked RV on the property. The agents searched the vehicle and found two totes with yellow tops. The property’s owner claimed to have no knowledge of it and claimed that he didn’t permit anyone to store anything at that location. Police also found a shed with even more containers.

While law enforcement was searching the property for evidence, they received a call from the property owner’s son. The son informed police that Celentano was storing items at his Medina, NY, apartment. Police went to retrieve the items. Mr. Celentano’s friend told police that he knew that Celentano was in possession of machineguns and 3D-printed firearms. The man stated that Celentano was storing items there because he was in the process of moving. Inside the padlocked totes, police found two 3D printers, two plate carriers, and over 20 3D-printed pistol frames. According to the man, Celentano told him the containers contained expensive camera equipment.

When the ATF opened the other containers, they found multiple AR-15 style receivers with a third hole drilled. According to the ATF, the third hole allows for installing an automatic sear. The ATF considers these receivers to be machineguns because of the third hole. The ATF says the total number of AR15 receivers with the third hole drilled out was 59. The resident of the apartment said that Celentano would test out firearms, including machineguns, at the Lyndonville property.

During the interview with the Lyndonville property owner, the man stated that he disposed of some firearms and parts into the Erie Canal. The NYSP SORT dive team recovered a cardboard box from the water that contained ten AR-style receivers, one unserialized handgun, magazines, and other gun parts. The ATF checked Celentano’s name against the NFA registry and found no items registered to the defendant.

Celentano asked for a bond from the court while awaiting trial, but the government argued that he posed a threat. The government presented social media posts from X (formerly Twitter) to establish the threat they believed Celentano was to law enforcement. One post said to train a Wendigo to fight federal agents. A Wendigo is a mythical Native American creature. Another post by Celentano said that “AR-15s are for shooting cops and anyone else who attempts to step on [our] liberty.” The judge would deny the bond, remanding the man into custody.

Screenshot used by the government
Screenshot used by the government

The authorities were tipped off to Celentano’s real identity by an anonymous call. No one has solid proof of who turned the man in to authorities. Celentano was also involved with the Gatalog. The Gatalog is a 3D printing website surrounding the 3D printing of firearms. The Gatalog uses Rocket Chat to communicate with its developers. AmmoLand News verified through our sources that the ATF has access to the Gatalog’s Rocket Chat. This includes items that are currently in beta.

There has also been talk about violations of export controls of arms. No one has been charged for those violations. This angle is just one that the federal authorities are looking at as a possible way to curb the dissemination of 3D-printed files across the internet.


About John Crump

Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.

John Crump

Subscribe
Notify of
72 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Colt

Say no to Nazi’s.

musicman44mag

Well? It’s like this. Though the government stomps on our rights regarding what we can and cannot have, we know that AR’s with a 3rd hole is against the law, we know that home made firearms to be sold to others without a serial number is against the law. He created his own dilemma and the verbiage he used about law enforcement didn’t help his case one bit. He could have had a tax stamp for the fully autos if they fell within the dates of manufacture which I feel should be changed and if we want a machine gun… Read more »

DDS

“I am tired of being punished for things I didn’t do and having restrictions placed on me,” I hired on with a part of TPC just after they signed a consent decree with FedGov and started a mandated affirmative action program. The first day on the job, while we were filling out our W4s and so forth, we were told that any white guys in the room had likely already advanced as far in the company as we ever would due to that FedGov affirmative action requirement. The year was 1971. If you’re a white male, you’re already in a… Read more »

musicman44mag

I was told for a state job that I could not have it because they were only looking for mexicans, I was told by PG&E they only wanted mexican and women linemen, I was in the Marine Corps that Black people have the advantage because they stay for life so do not expect much. When were taken in, all given the name of maggot, all four squad leaders were black and the Platoon guide was mexican and it was that way from day one to graduation. USMC 1976. When I finally got a job at the DMV for commiefornia only… Read more »

Silver Creek

Music
My mom worked for a major corporation and took tests to get a supervisor job. She scored in the 90’s, however, with affirmative action and the company had government contracts, they only wanted to promote blacks who only had to score 60% on tests to get the job. Twice she tried and finally gave up.

musicman44mag

through the years I must have taken 10 tests to get on a list. Once you get on the list if you score high, they can take within the top 3 ranks. So if you are third rank, they will higher minorities from rank 1,2,3. first and then clear what’s left which is very few. When they are gone and no one remains in one are two, then they can draw from 3,4 and 5. They will skip you in rank three and take from rank 4 and 5. I complained to the chief of the department. The problem was… Read more »

Last edited 16 days ago by musicman44mag
Roland T. Gunner

Might as well get used to it? Might as well go ahead and kick the hornet’s nest and pick a good day to die, on your own terms.

DDS

If that’s what floats your boat, then by all means go for it. Show the rest of us how its done.

————

Upon further review… (love using that line.)

That part above the line comes off as a little harsh. Let me back up and share some advice that was shared with me.

Gear up and go out into the street. If you’re the only one out there, go back inside ‘cuz it isn’t time yet.

Last edited 16 days ago by DDS
StLPro2A

DDS, you gotta quit learning from Leftists. Under that philosophy, the first one will never occur. Had our Founders practiced that paradigm, we would still be enjoying tea and crumpets every afternoon. The first one in the street will either be the leader or the dead body that inspires American Freedom Revolution 2.0. As an old geezer, it’s six of one, half dozen of the other.

Last edited 16 days ago by StLPro2A
DDS

To your first point, you need to read up on Sun Tzu on knowing your enemy and learning from them.

To your second point, one can only wonder what Capt. John Parker and the Lexington militia would think.

John Dunlap

There’s a lot more going on besides this attack on 3D printing, which is what this case was really about. We’re right on the verge of being stuffed into “15 minute city” gulags with digital ID’s and 24/7 surveillance. Passive resistance will soon no longer be possible. As for tactics, stop thinking 1776 and start thinking Irish Republican Army. Remember that scene in the old TV series “V”? An old lady is pushing her shopping cart down the street. She smiles at the alien storm troopers standing next to their patrol craft. Some kids throw rocks at the troopers and… Read more »

Wild Bill

TPC?

DDS

The Phone Company: the 3 letter “agency” that actually runs the world 😉

Watch “The President’s Analyst”

Greg K

Except, there are pin walk kits that require an extra hole (threaded) to cap the pins and defend from pins working out. There’s your “third hole.” It takes more than a “Third hole,” to make them auto ready. Here’s my question, “Where’s the 59 automatic parts tool hardened to be put into those receivers to ultimately make them automatics?” Something has a taint here Music!

musicman44mag

In todays anti gun ObiDUMB adminsitration rule changing and weaponizing all 3 letter agencies, anything they dam well choose is either a “weapon of war, unregistered, illegal part that makes it a machine gun or something that requires a stamp and registration”. They are even working on requiring registration for CNC machines and printers for Gods sake. Remember, a little part that you can get that makes your Glock work like it should is illegal and if you have one, it’s as if you are going to use it and it makes all your pistols that it fits fully auto… Read more »

Silver Creek

A couple of articles have mentioned about pro gun Republicans introducing bills to legalize sound suppressor silencers and the far leftist Democrats vote against it claiming “assassins” will buy them. What nonsense. It sounds like these Democrats have been playing too many video games and watching too many action movies In Europe, with all their gun laws and restrictions, it is required for hunters to use sound suppressor silencers to go hunting, so they don’t frighten people while shooting. No restrictions on purchasing one. Article said that back in 1934, during discussion over the 1934 gun control act, some joker… Read more »

musicman44mag

It’s all nonsense and doesn’t make good horse sense to even the smartest jackass.

Thanks for sharing.

Greg K

And so isn’t it strange that the EPA regulates your tailpipe for sound emissions, but not guns.

DDS

The same guy invented both the auto muffler and the firearm suppressor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Percy_Maxim

Greg K

Am not shocked…About 6-8 years ago my father bought a Harley trike. We have a bunch of mufflers (tips) from days gone by, so I investigated. It’s interesting because for all intents and purposes what we are doing is separating the sound from the air. When I searched muffler cutaways, not only car mufflers but gun mufflers came with the search. I think a thing called a hush puppy was in there. Isn’t that one of Maxim’s designs? I remembered it from the name, thought it was funny.

Greg K

Love what you said here…We could unpackage a lot of stuff there. “Weapon of War;” If it’s a weapon of war, why do they arm all of their agencies with it? Furthermore, “Who” do they plan to be at “war” with? CNC; A good machinist on manual equipment can do the same stuff. Maybe better if they know their stuff. More to the point this particular machine must say Ghost Gunner, or at least the receipt to it did. Which marches us into the next point. Again I point out the hearsay aspect. For instance, did this nosey slum lord… Read more »

musicman44mag

I really see no sense in an auto pistol either unless it is a 5.56 with at least a 10 inch barrel.

I don’t care what the CNC says it shouldn’t make any difference. Yes one can make an AR lower with manual tools. I don’t think it would look very good but it would probably be functional. The accuracy comes from the barrel anyway.

DIYinSTL

There was, and I emphasize “was”, a youtube series of a guy who cast and manually machined (like on a Bridgeport, not CNC) a brass lower receiver. It came out looking pretty good. I’d link it but of course:
“This video has been removed for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines”
The second one used to be at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-y4gAGn0lo

musicman44mag

Good old Bridgeport. The first machine I ever used and set up at the machine shop I worked at. You would be surprised how much money I saved making parts for my Sprint Car and modifications for my snowmobiles. Awesome tool. I used to run the CNC but the programming was beyond me. Set the part and measure for tolerance, push the button, wait, remove the part, flip it over, run it again, and take it to another CNC station for finishing. It is such an awesome tool to watch a block of aluminum turn into a part in minuets… Read more »

Greg K

Sounds like we grazed out of the same pastures. So I started at 9, sweeping a shop for my uncles (although I was more interested in what they were doing), and progressively by 13 was learning on a Powermill Kondia. Basically, a Type 1 knock off. Was also into racing on and off. The most important part of this story is that, I had a stint at Lampson Cranes and was very lucky to work with some very talented people. They came from the Aerospace and Hanford WA. They carried with them knowledge that is being lost to obscurity. Here’s… Read more »

musicman44mag

LOL. I appreciate what I learned on the manual side. I can make what ever I want but it is just a slower process. Those that only know CNC really don’t have the finesse to do the job manually. I totally agree.

DDS

A friend had a machine shop with two big Kondia mills. He explained that after WWII no one would buy German stuff. So just like German engineers went to Spain to recreate the MP44 as the CETME, some others went to Spain to build a German designed Spanish made clone of the Bridgeport.

He did at one point add digital readouts, but
other than that they were pretty much “out of the box.” He made just about everything on those Kondias to make stuff for the airline industry and local injection molding shops.

Greg K

They must be good mills, because that mill is still in operation to this day and I’m 58 now.

DIYinSTL

59? Of course you need to fully machine out the fire control cavity in an AR-15 in addition to the 3rd hole. New bolt carrier (maybe.) 4 parts for the auto-sear and selector. A new hammer. So that’s only 5 or six. The whole trigger assembly on a Geissele Super Select-fire including hammer, 3 springs and 2 pins looks to be 8 parts. But according to ATF the act of simply marking the location of “the 3rd hole” FOR THE AUTO-SEAR is enough to put you in jail. Petty bureaucrats like to make petty rules and have the authority to… Read more »

Silver Creek

Back in the 1990’s, the gun banning groups said any semi auto rifle could be converted to full auto just by using a paperclip or hairpin!
What nonsense.
Besides that, how would the gun banning groups know how to convert a semi auto rifle to full auto?

Greg K

“Besides that, how would the gun banning groups know how to convert a semi auto rifle to full auto?”

Exactly!

Roland T. Gunner

If you want to reduce gun violence, get rid of all the Demokrat constituenrs.

DIYinSTL

“… we know that home made firearms to be sold to others without a serial number is against the law.”
I’m not a lawyer but far as I can tell you can give them away all day. Just a personal opinion should conditions dictate and the need arises. The inscription “To be given but not sold” would be a good substitute for a maker’s mark.

Last edited 16 days ago by DIYinSTL
musicman44mag

Well, maybe you live in a red state but here in Oregoneistan, all transfers require and FFL unless it is family and FFL’s will not handle guns that don’t have a serial number unless it was made before the law went into effect.

I think, I am not sure, but with the new law that was enacted or they are trying to enact, you cannot transfer AR’s AKs ect. at all, or they have to go through an FFL at all times. Not sure. I think they wanted them turned into the police to be destroyed. Don’t quote me.

DIYinSTL

The Fed law is a little complicated. So far, you can still build from scratch and they only need serialization if you have a gunsmith work on one and he needs to keep it overnight. You cannot sell without being a FFL. In Missouri, even St. Louis, MO, I can buy and sell all day long if it does not attract ATF’s attention. I am not into selling and unfortunately no one I know is either so all my purchases are through an FFL.

Silver Creek

Yeah, just turn them into the police who will pick out the best ones and just keep them for themselves!

Or they will use them as a drop weapon.

Or they will wait until a ” gun buy back” and have a undercover agent place to hem on the tables to make the buy back look good

musicman44mag

I see you think the same of our government as I do. It’s a shame so many instances of corrupt police have ruined their reputation but I know a few where I live and they are nice people that really want to serve and protect but like always, you can find a jerk in every crowd.

My experiences are the police in big cities are usually not good cops. I think seeing so much devastation and rule breaking by the rats in the cage gets to them after time.

California Uber Alles

Freeman taken down by head crabs 🙁

Greg K

Have you ever read an article and thought; “surely there’s more.” Well, maybe not. As luck would have it, this morning I read an article about DEA, FBI gun parts slated for destruction found in, what they termed “a ghost gun.” When we read this article, we have 59 lowers with an extra hole. Does the ATF get to decide where the extra hole location constitutes auto readiness? If he wants to turn his stuff into swiss cheese, that’s up to him. Another tell is, they put a tracker on his car…obviously this is before raiding his house and based… Read more »

Silver Creek

There have been several articles about people taking their cars to a repair shop and then getting a call from the mechanic and telling them that there is a tracking device on their automobile. When they removed it from the car frame, a short time later, a three letter agency showed up to retrieve the tracker. When asked why it was on the car in the first place, they refused to answer and drove off. I’ve been told about automobiles with white government license plates driving around gun store parking lots and taking videos of cars parked in the parking… Read more »

Get Out

There has to be video of government cars going around and getting license plate information. Gun store parking lots would surely have cameras in use.

Wild Bill

What does a “government car” look like?

Get Out

Like the description reads, “automobiles with white government license plates”.

“I’ve been told about automobiles with white government license plates driving around gun store parking lots and taking videos of cars parked in the parking lot.”

Wild Bill

I know what fed gov issued plates look like. What do “government cars” look like.

Get Out

“Automobiles with white government license plates”.

A majority (about 69 percent) of vehicles owned and leased by federal agencies are classified as light-duty—mostly sport utility vehicles (SUVs), pick-up trucks, and sedans—and operated across the country

Federal Vehicle Fleets: Observations on the Transition to Electric Vehicles | U.S. GAO

Wild Bill

Don’t forget seized vehicles are also taken into the federal fleet.

Get Out

The slickest vehicle I got to look at was a boxed looking vehicle that would pass for a work truck if seen on the streets. It had a periscope device inside connected to what looked like an air vent on top of the roof. The periscope device had an adapter for a camera or video devices. The back panel was a window, frosted over for looking to the sides for pictures or surveillance.

Wild Bill

What dumb ass let you look at their surveillance vehicle?

Get Out

There’s no need get nasty about it, LE turned it in to be sold on a state auction site.

Get Out

Non Sequitur.

Get Out

Post an example.

Oldvet

gout … OK for a change I will …
LOOK in the Mirror

Wild Bill

Way out here in the sticks, I haven’t even seen a county sheriff’s deputy in three years. If there were to be any law to enforce, we’d have to do it ourselves.

Greg K

Sweet!

StLPro2A

If those government plated vehicles would just ask….I’d give a them an autographed picture holding one of my Barrett 50s….locked’n’loaded’n’pointed at them!!!!.
Have tee…”If you ain’t on a government list, you ain’t shit!!!”

Mike

Why does the receiver having the third hole make it illegal? Mere possession of an autosear is illegal because that’s the part they consider to be a machine gun. Having a hole with no autosear doesn’t make anything function as a machine gun…..

Greg K

Right, and I believe it takes 3 parts to complete the automatic third hole scenario. Four if you include the pin. Someone on here might be able to confirm?

StLPro2A

ATF defines a single part of a machine gun mechanism as a total machine gun. A third hole serves as constructive intent…aka constructive possession… to manufacture a machine gun. Feds hate we little peeps with arms ’cause “Virus may spread….” Ya’ mean like that 1776 virus thingy??? Been saying for a long time…call me Carnack…..and, here you go…… ATF regards any part or combination of parts that can be made/re-made/et el to fire more than one shot with single trigger pull as a machine gun. An AR-15 plus a lightning link….or in the Hoover case, a picture of a lightning… Read more »

Greg K

That gets back to what Music and I were talking about. Where’s this 3rd hole located? Maybe he was planning to get pinwalk kits. Maybe the hole is in the right place according to them, but the wrong size for any readily available parts. Much to what you are saying, when are we going to grow a pair ant ell them to cram it?! And that comes from someone who doesn’t even want an auto, well unless the government would like to drop off a Ma Deuce or one of those 308 134 mini guns with plenty of ammo. Have… Read more »

DIYinSTL

A hammer (the one with the ‘hook’) compatible with your trigger, auto-sear, auto-sear spring, pin, selector, and complete the milling in the fire control pocket to make room for the auto-sear. And possibly a bolt carrier. Many are milled so as to not trip the auto-sear or are totally redesigned to be faster or change the recoil impulse. So the answer is 5 or 6 parts, more if you have to replace a whole trigger system like Timney.

Greg K

So, that’s why I wonder, if the parts to make it auto take a considerable time to install, why would this guy put them separately in a closet away from his lock box of illegal crap. The only thing, excepting the parts being planted is, he had a couple of unit ready for those parts stuffed under the bed or place other. However we get back to that whole, it will take a while to make the installation, so one lock is only a few seconds away. Makes no sense! PS, thanks for educating me. I’ve never seen any of… Read more »

StLPro2A

Research “constructive intent” and “constructive possession.” Or, just drill that third hole and have an ATF thug explain it to you…..

Greg K

So that gets to a bigger point…Most AR15 lowers I have ever seen have the Auto position etched or raised near the safety lever. Is that constructive Intent? There comes a point where it’s all BS. It starts with any law giving the ATF impetus to habitually redefine “The Law.” Laws which are “Bills of Attainder” on their faces. Anything that bring “Life, Liberty, Or Property (Pursuit of Happiness), is in fact, a “Bill of Attainder.” Especially, something supported in the Bill of Rights.

Silver Creek

Soldier of Fortune magazine had articles on gunsmith in Pakistan and Afghanistan who for the right price, would make any firearm from a black powder muzzleloader to a full auto AK-47′ using hand tools and railroad iron.

Notice that hat the Biden administration and ATF go after law abiding American gun owners.
There is nothing about the government going after street gangs like M-13 and TDA. Who sell drugs, kidnapping, extortion, prostitution, home invasions.

DIYinSTL

Is SOF still around or are you referring to an article from the ’70s? I was a charter subscriber which indicates my age. Somewhere in the basement is a box with the first 5 or 10 years. The first 3 issues were oversized. Good coverage of hostilities in Africa and Afghanistan. First to tell the world about the AK-74.

The reasons for going after the law abiding is twofold: subjugate the masses and protect the criminal class which is a substantial source of revenue.

Wild Bill

The people helping Celentano crumbled. Let that be a lesson to us all.

Greg K

Definitely agree with that! Although, I sort of think this was a put up deal, or at least a person inserted into his world.

Deplorable Bill

What ever happened to, “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”? What the atf has done, is doing and will do is treasonous and tyrannical, both of these crimes are capitol and rate capitol punishment. Obviously the courts and the deep state are in collusion with the atf. Should the atf or their minions or the military show up at my house I will enforce the laws against treason and tyranny. The atf, like any other tyrant, depends upon people who won’t resist.

Arm up and carry on

Deg4u

I certainly agree with you!

Jaque

If your doing illegal stuff its self defeating to involve others in your crimes and to spread your ideas and ideology across the internet. The minders are scouring the web for everything gun and explosives related and containing anti government subversive posts. Eventually you will be tracked, survielled and caught

That is unless your a Jihadist the Communist Biden Regime has escorted into the US and has provided you a cover, weapons, food and shelter. Then you will be left alone to carry out mass murder and destruction. Its the Biden/Harris way.

DDS

The story is about some guy 3D printing firearm parts..

The lead picture shows a Ghost Gunner desktop CNC mill.

They both can be used to make a firearm at home, but other than that I don’t see the connection.

Matt in Oklahoma

Lazy journalism or one that connects legal business with alleged law breakers with subliminal messages.
Both are tiresome